Help for existential ocd

[Juustopallo]

Damn I've had so many different obsessions. It all started with religion. "How do I choose the right religion?" "How do I know if there's a god?" "How do I know there's a meaning to life?" "How aren't other people occupied with these questions?" I had (and sometimes still do) tons of intrusive thoughts about meaninglessness of life. And tried my best to solve all these uncertainties. "Do I really believe nothing matters?! Am I becoming a nihilist?! Am I losing my orldview and my Self? What if I started to fear my own existence?". I bought every spiritual book I could find. Looked into every religion or philosophy trying to find some peace. They all seemed to give some comfort but only for a short time. I tried to meditate, do some yoga, talk to priests, my friends... When I ran across Mark Freeman's ocd youtube channel I finally realized this wasn't just some normal philosophical answer seeking. This was ocd running wild. Deep down inside I knew all these questions were just a way for me to make myself scared. Aka bullshit.

Since then I've had so many different themes. Nowadays I know that if my mind comes up with aa question like this and it grabs all my attention and makes me feel like I can't go on living normally until I've found the answer, it's just ocd playing it's games. I know I shouldn't even try to look for an answer since it's a compulsion. Compulsions keep ocd going.

I've seen many people on this forum wrestling with solipsism. Their struggle is real even though they know their obsessions are all bs. I ran across this website that talks about existential ocd. I hope it can help you realoze that what you are going through is just ocd. And with ocd you know how to get over it: cut out the compulsions, expose yourself to the uncertainty ithout trying to solve it and meanwhile live your life normally every single day. Go out with your friends, spend time with your family, go to work or school, have some hobbies, paint, write, cook... all the good stuff! Don't let ocd change your behavior!

https://www.intrusivethoughts.org/oc...xistential-ocd

[djsouthboi247]

You are absolutely right. I’m in the same boat. Bro, we can get through this. This obsession will go away like others went away. Hopefully, we won’t have to go through a midlife crisis later on.

[Otulissa]

Sadly everything like that I look at seems to say there is no getting over it... Even that site says for many they will have the obessions throughout their lives.
I might just be feeling extra bleak lately...but it just seems like everyone wants you to put up with it as long as you can, that there is no 'after'.
Perhaps that just how it seems for me.

[djsouthboi247]

Otullissa, don’t believe others. Believe in yourself. You have the power to change your mind. Terminate anxiety. Have a look at <name removed>. Don’t worry girl, this is just Neurosis, not Psychosis. Thank God. I thought I was going mad but this guy reassured me.

[djsouthboi247]

I presume you fear Solipsism Otullissa, correct? Well you don’t have to worry about that. It’s refuted by General Anaesthesia

[Srpasqua]

I am currently really struggling with this. Do you feel it’s gotten any better ? I question EVERYTHING. My dr prescribed me Xanax but all it does is make me super depressed

[MyNameIsTerry]

Sadly everything like that I look at seems to say there is no getting over it... Even that site says for many they will have the obessions throughout their lives.
I might just be feeling extra bleak lately...but it just seems like everyone wants you to put up with it as long as you can, that there is no 'after'.
Perhaps that just how it seems for me.

You need to separate your perception of the theme from the main disorder. Now tell me why OCD sufferers with this one theme are different to the rest of us?

I've got rid of loads of my OCD themes. They haven't come back so far, after a few years.

I think you are reading the wrong places, there are places on the net where it's all about the problems and not the recovery part. These types of places pull in the likeminded. How many of them have tried everything thet can? I've never come across anyone who has tried everything.

And then there is the issue of science. They debunked the old beliefs about how the brain grows decades ago. It's accepted the brain can change throughout your whole life. And anxiety is learned behaviour. So, you can unlearn it too through the same learning processes.

What exactly could be in someone's DNA that says they will develop a specific theme in OCD? Therefore it's about learnt behaviour, even if genetic links in OCD are ever truly accepted.

[djsouthboi247]

Well said Terrry!

[Otulissa]

I suppose I just have that fear (that im sure many of us have had), what if im the one that doesnt get better? I mean, its been a very long time. I am 'better' than I was before yes, but id like this one theme gone.

[djsouthboi247]

It will. If it got better. It will be gone for good.